A wise man once said….and so it proved on Saturday morning for the surfer/swimmers who went to Fountainstown under the “anything but go to the pool” banner.  They came prepared too.

It’s been such a good Summer that there hasn’t been too much need to decamp to Fountainstown to avoid a swell.  The pic below is from the 12th of May and in between then and last Saturday, it’s been like a bath 🙂

Denis in the distance – blustery wind whipping up the shallow sea.

Last Monday night tonight!  Enjoy it for all who can make it.

To judge by the photos being released, the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of Myrtleville went on a lovely scenic trip to Killary last weekend and had a quiet, relaxing time.  No drinking, carousing or who knows what – skinny dipping maybe?   No, no.  None of that carry on.  Here are the sanitised images currently on release….

Fine healthy specimens – before the night out.

The event itself looked fantastic, but nobody’s interested in the swim.  I’m not anyway.  They moved their angelic smiles and best behaviour indoors after the swim.

Butter wouldn’t melt…..but telltale bottles appearing.

And then…….Nothing.  Nada.  No action.  All off to bed early.  Just one picture to indicate the truth.

The only halfway truthful picture released. Denis breaks out the handbag and joins Ros in full voice.

We know the truth is out there.  Someone SHOULD release the pictures.  None of this “what goes on tour” stuff for the swimmers.  Rewards are available – or at least, I won’t comment on the people who give me the pictures.  Go on, you know you want to……

Leenane locals don’t know what’s going to hit them this weekend as the hostel is taken over by Myrtlevillains on a Tequila Trip serious swimming expedition.  Good luck to all, but especially to the Connemara folk when this lot get there.

Myrtlevillains in serious training for the Killary Fjord swim.

It’s been an “Autumny” week, with a bit of texture on the water some of the days, but still warm and enjoyable.There were a few birthdays this week.  Some public, some not so public.

Ros – Birthday Girl!

Another notable feature of the week was the rising challenge by Paschal Horgan to Denis Cregan-Condon’s previously undisputed title as De Babe Magnet (he told me).  By all accounts, Paschal has de wimmin eatin’ outa his hand.  Swim Safe!  Enjoy Killary Fjord for those who are travelling.  Normal 08.15 Saturday for those who aren’t.

When they look like this, it’s no wonder Myrtleville Mondays are so popular.  Just October 6th, 13th and 20th left before the clock catches us.  Booo!

Monday evening – 29 September. Just three more Monday nights left.

Of course we’ll still have Saturday mornings, the Friday morning group, Turkey Swims, impromptu Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon swims – and the odd Sunday.  I don’t know why I’m being gloomy – the Winter Season is only beginning 🙂

Swim Safe.  Swim Often.  Swim in Cold Water – whenever it finally comes back 🙂

It really has been an amazing month of weather and sea temperatures.  Lots of swimming still being done.  Monday nights at 6.00pm will continue until October 20th.  The clocks go back on Sunday 26th, so that will be that for another year.  Just 08.15 on Saturday mornings as the set time until next April, although lots of people will go at earlier day times during the week.

Saturday morning was beautiful and various groups went to Church Bay and back and Fountainstown – either one way or return.  That group were dead chuffed with themselves, so they went for an extra long breakfast afterwards.  The life of Riley. 

Meanwhile in Spain, Pat Lowry had to deal with water even hotter than ours and got the dreaded (for triathletes) “No Wetsuit” notification!  He seems to have managed just fine in his togs, though.  Well done, Pat 🙂

Nice see also that The Hat continues to travel and spread the love.  Spotted in Salthill at the weekend.

Enjoy the warm seas!   Swim Safe.

The effects of Beer Goggles are well known, but fewer studies have been done on Tequila Goggles.  On Saturday night, extensive research was undertaken to determine how post-swim athletes would be effected by tequila intake.  If it’s “in vino veritas” and “in aqua sanitas” then I think it must be “in tequila Denis’s ass”.

Under controlled conditions, the experiment commences. Controlled, as in – indoors.

Denis – I wanna be Adored, as the song says. And he is. That tequila’s great stuff.  Anne queues for her turn.

Denis – even more adored. Anne gets a turn and Siobhan sneaks in too. Tequila Goggles are amazing.

Please note – no Tequila Experiments pre-swim, only post-swim 🙂

I’ve said this before but these five pictures taken by Siobhan Russell on Monday night really reminded me of it again.  Easterly wind, rough water – still brilliant.

Poser Frost and Posee Cashell.

Patrick McCabe & Jamie O’Donnell – proper Man poses.

Ruth McSweeney & waves.

Kieran Murphy & Ros O’Brien – Cheshire Cat smiles.

Audrey Burkley strips off!

With the water over 17c, it’s a long way to Winter yet!  Swim Safe.

Tom McCarthy’s swim from Minane Bridge to Roberts Cove

Part 2 The Dam to Robert’s Cove.  Distance: 7 Km.

From Fountainstown up to the Dam is about 2km of tidal mudflats. As I intend to start the swim tomorrow at high water the mudflats will be covered and the channel will not be visible. As the flats may only have a foot or two of water over them they will be unswimmable, so it’s vital to stay in the channel. On these mud banks if you go aground on a falling tide you can neither swim nor walk and you can end up in serious trouble. On the Carrigaline mudflats a guy in a small boat lost the channel on an ebb tide, went aground and the only way off was a SAR helicopter. This happened only last year.

So therefore, so as not to end up like a complete Wally, the channel would have to be marked. You can’t do it on high tide as you can’t see it and you can’t do it on low tide as there is not enough water to float your boat. So you must do it on 1/2 tide when the channel is still visible and there is enough depth to get your boat up. Earlier in the day I went to a nearby wood and cut about a dozen Hazel branches of about 10/12 feet length. The Hazel limbs grow quite straight. At one end I hewed a point for sticking in the mud and at the top end I attached some red cloth, so they would look like a flag pole with a red bunting.

Dam to Robert’s Cove.

Wed 20th August 1900 hrs The Sand Spit, Fountainstown.

With my friend Billy Kelleher we launch a 3 man Indian canoe, enough room for 2 of us and my flagpoles. We paddle upstream sticking our poles in the mud at any point where the channel turned or where it would still be visible from the last one. In about an hour we were up and back, got the markings done and confident that I wasn’t going home by Helicopter tomorrow.

Thurs 21st August The Pier Head Crosshaven. 1430Hrs

Arriving at Crosshaven pier with my crewman, Tom, who has done a couple of circumnavigations of the North Atlantic with me in our days in square rig, we find Billy Kelleher waiting with his RIB. Besides being an expert boat-handler, Billy is experienced in tending to open-water swimmers, having acted as safety- boat for several previous events.  I am especially aware that I will need two capable crew who will be able to haul me into the boat if required.

We motor around to Fountainstown and then slowly go up the channel to the Dam. Some of our markers are missing and the strong wind the night before must have knocked them over. However the remaining ones should be sufficient. We sit at the steps of the Dam waiting for the Ebb tide to start flowing out. We judge it by watching the water level on a step, drinking hot-chocolate and remaining well clothed. After about 1/2 hour we all agree it has dropped an inch or so. So, let’s do like Shepherds and get the flock out of here. I quickly change into togs etc and we are off….Incidentally the Ebb has started about 45 mins before High Water Cobh. Tides in river areas always need local knowledge. The 6 hours in 6 hours out cycles do not apply.

Swimming with the boat in front and the markers visible, I still touch bottom with my hands occasionally. (If you must touch bottom, make sure it’s a soft bottom).  I swim as fast as I can (which isn’t fast at all) just to get clear of the mud. After about 1/2 hour I start getting the tide and get a good push as we go along by the Ringabella woods. Now it’s enjoyable. Some friends, who are swimming horses bareback on the Fountainstown side, shout encouragement..giddy up…giddy up. Is it a sea horse they are talking to?

Finally out to sea and I am still getting a push from the tide – it’s stronger than I expected, maybe 1/2 knot. The wind forecast was Westerly force 6, but so far I am in the Lee of the land. About halfway from Ringabella point to the Cove I come around a point and the Westerly 6 is straight up my nose. To make matters worse, it’s wind against tide and it’s a steep, short sea which slaps me straight in the face. I’m Breast stroking and swallowing a lot of water. Bang, Bang, Spew! The lads in the boat are giving me drinks every 20 mins and I eventually take 2 Nurofen Plus as my neck is killing me. I later find I have a disc out. After 2 hrs 35 mins we arrive in Roberts Cove.

Tired but Happy we head for Home…..Not really…we do a deserved detour via Cronin’s Bar and Lounge. Not so much to celebrate, as to take fuel and liquid sunshine from a glass!